Shop news

I dyed up another batch of Stonehenge yesterday that should go up in the shop tomorrow. I also did a darker version. They are still damp. so I will update with pics later.

In the meantime remember this: You can find it at Yarny Goodness. The above is Gypsy Rose Lee. They have some really cool new stuff.

Click

So I was spinning last night and something in my brain went click. I get it! I was wondering if I was ever going to find a rhythm and I did. Then something very strange happened. The flyer stopped turning and wound itself off and fell to the floor. I could hear the wheel squeaking a bit more too I need to oil him. I will run out today and get a little sewing machine oil. My wheel did not come with any. I am however very happy with the spinning overall. I will try to take pictures later. All I got so far is a fuzzy looking bobbin.

Check out these socks!

When MG came in with the mail she had a package for me. My socks from my Sock It To Me Twice pal Lisa! Hi Lisa!

The color here is no good. They are a true red color and very pretty. The fit perfectly! I am wearing them now. Maybe Lisa will comment with the pattern and yarn?

Thank You Lisa! They are warm, pretty and I love them!

One More Week

In a week I will be packing to go to Moms! I will miss the kiddos and Hubby but I still think this is the best idea. I will go next time. However 5 days in Chicago land with a yarn crawl planned with my Friend Troll is going to be great! I plan to hang out and knit with Mom and GAL and eat pizza and Portillo's and Hot Beef Sandwiches. I can not get a decent hot beef in this town to save my life! I am coming home a few days before the hubby and mks so I will have some time to get the house cleaned and chill out before the crazy returns.

Oh and if you go to Yarny Goodness right now you just might see some more new stuff... go ..go now!

MK Update

Last night Hubby got stuck in Lincoln again so I had to take the MK's with me to parent/teacher conference. to their credit they were pretty quiet until the end and no seem bothered with MB yelling about wanting to go to school with MG.
MG (this is the part where I brag about my kid. Just sayin) is doing very well in school. She is in the top groups for reading and math. She is doing great in music and art too! Her teacher says she can always count on MG to help out in the classroom. and not just the teacher. Mrs. B says MG is always willing to help her fellow students too. Mrs B also says MG has a good understanding of community. See why I am proud? Looks like my little girl might turn into a pretty good citizen of the world.

I can't leave MB out so I have this little gem for you today. It has been nice enough to walk home from school this week so on Monday we set off to pick up MG. MB saw an empty beer can on the grass and picked it up. I told him it was someones trash and we just needed to throw it away so he gave it to me and I walked to school with an empty beer can. We threw it out and went on with our day. On Tuesday MB picked up about 25 different pieces of trash along the way for me to throw out. "We can't litter Mom!" So I walked to school with an armload of trash. Wednesday comes around and we get to the end of the driveway and MB says "I have idea Mom... I need a bag" So I got him an old grocery sac and off we go. Instead of playing on the playground while we waited for the bell to ring. MB walked around the field picking up little bits of trash. On our way home he handed the bag to the teacher who mans the overpass and says "I cleaned up for you" The teacher for his part was very nice about being handed a bag of trash,
"Thank You" says the teacher then he winked at me and just walked off with MB's bag of trash.

Now someone explain to me why he won't pick up his room?

People who Rock

So I got in touch with a very nice lady on Ravelry who helped me with my ad. Char is so nice and her ad is so much better that what I came up with. I sent her some pictures and before Idol was over I had a new ad! I am going to have her do ads for the new line when its ready. She wants to knit her Great Grand daughter a dress so I'm going to dye up some yarn for her. I am so greatful for her help. Graphic design was never my strong point. There are indeed good people out there who work for yarn! Lucky me. Thanks again Char! You rock!

On an American Idol side note: How hot is that David Cook? I sort of hope for his sake he doesn't win because then he will be stuck in the AI machine. If he goes in 4th or 5th place he will have a better chance I think.
Also what was up with Paula's outfit? Is this what women are wearing now? Ah no thanks.

More stuff

Pam just keeps adding stuff over at YG. Keep checking back there. She said my stuff should go up today. That is about the only good thing to happen here today. I spent all morning trying to make an ad for Raverly. I think I have it now. ( I hope). Shop sales have been pretty flat so I hope the ad helps.

In other news. MB kept at the SB game and now has a pretty good handle on it. Daddy helped him a bit last night. He will be a pro in no time. I still suck at video games but who cares...

I had a new comment on my 2nd ever post to this blog today. Someone wanted to tell me all about their drug treatment program. The comment said "I hope you don't see this as spam..." well I do and decided to call the 24 hour tool free number. I got a machine. Ah maybe I am crazy but shouldn't someone answer the 24 hour drug treatment number? Idiots!

Monday Stuff

I suck at video games. MB is playing the PS2 Spoongebob game and I can't help him. He is mad about this but it is what it is. He will just have figure it out or wait for his sister or Daddy to get home. Poor kid...

Pam has lots of great new stuff over at Yarny Goodness. Not my stuff yet but she is working like crazy over there. Check out the new stuff. Super fun.

I have not spun anything yet. I have not been able to sit down to it for more than 20 minutes at a time yet. I am having some trouble getting the yarn to wind on the bobbin right and all I've got so far is a twisted mess that untwists when I let go. I have to go back to the opl and get that book again. Toph loves to watch the wheel and MB likes to "help me". I will have 2 days here to myself when I get back from Moms and I am going to work on it then till I get it.

We got the taxes filed last night. Yeah I love getting $$ from Uncle Sam.

The Hitchhiker

Here he is. Isn't he cute? I am having a bit of drama setting the tension thingie but I will get it sooner or later. I'm gonna take him to the next S&B and get some help from the gals. I am still waiting for the moment it clicks and I make yarn I can knit.

The size of the wheel is great. It fits anywhere. I'm short so I don't mind the height. I am pretty happy with him. I think I will take it apart this summer and paint it. You can tell it is made by hand and the workmanship is very nice. I like that it is a little quirky, so am I...

Off to dye eggs!

Keep It Simple Stupid

When I was running shows I would say this to everybody all the time. Keep is simple less to go wrong... Well the Wollmeise scarf that I was knitting got pretty messed up about 10 inches in and I ended up frogging it. The yarn is so pretty I wanted to really show it off so I went with Keep It Simple Stupid.

Just ss on the bias with a garter border. Easy and so pretty. I want to wear this to EWM in June. Should be easy as I'm pretty far along now.

Pattern:

Cast on 32 Sts

Knit 8 rows

next row(row1) K4,kf&b, k21,SSK,K4

(row2) K4,p24,K4

Repeat these 2 rows till you think you are done. Knit 8 rows bind off, Block. Want it wider? cast on more st. Skinny scarf? cast on less. See Simple.

Don't Panic!

The Hitchhiker is here. Pictures tommrow when I have had a chance to get to know him. Yeah seems like a him so far...

nap time

Hubby fell asleep on the couch the other night and I woke up to this scene here. How cute is this?. Toph is getting so big! 25# already. Toph is sitting on Hubs knees and Winston is laying on his feet. Hubby can sleep through anything.

See This?

Winston came in from playing outside with Toph with this sticking out of his rear end. At first I thought It was really in the muscle. Thank goodness he has a super thick coat. It was just mashed in the fur and sticking out funny. That's my hand there. When he came in I could only see about an inch and a half of stick. Lucky dog. Good to know that big furry butt is good for something!

Odds and Ends

So yesterday in the mail I got an invite to a wedding shower for Hubby's step sister. Hubby's Dad and ssil's Mom got Married 6 months after Hubby and I did so Hubby doesn't really know her that well. We would see her at FIL's sometimes but I really don't know her. So what do you get for someone you should know better but don't? I'm gonna poke around Etsy for something cool and just make a wild guess. It will give me a chance to check out a new artist.

I have discovered that if I want my hand knit socks washed I just ask my son. He loves to soak and squish the socks in the sink. Who knew...He even likes to wash his regular store bought socks. I wonder how long this will last?

I have most of the colorways planned out for the new yarn line I want to do Now I just need yarn and new dyes! Hubby brought home 2 big wardrobe boxes for yarn drying/hanging. While I am waiting to order all the supplies I am working on new labels and ads so everything will be ready when the yarn is dyed. I think it will have to wait until I am back from my upcoming trip to Chicago. While Hubby and the MK's are in Texas I am going to see my family and friends back home. I am hoping to see an old friend from my days at the GS summer camp. She is a knitter too. I had not seen her in years until I came across her in knit blog land. Too funny.

One more fun thing to report. The other day as I was packing up the flyer to send Lorena I noticed the zip code for her shop was not on the shop blog so I just picked up the phone and called her shop. It was too cool to talk to her! Right at that moment Toph decided to chew on the leg on my pants and MB wanted a drink so he was jumping up and down in front of me. I only got to talk to her for a few minutes but it was like talking to an old friend. She is so funny. I would love to have had more time to talk! Sorry Lorena. I'll talk to you again soon I am sure.

Look Yarn!

I was going along pretty good before I broke the yarn. Sort of thick and thin. I find drafting harder with the spindle. Not sure why.

guess what happened to my Mom...

So Mom and her guide dog Jan were waiting for their bags at the airport the other day and Mom was chatting with 2 nice young ladies she had met there. A 3rd woman came up and asked to pet the guide dog. Mom explained that you shouldn't pet working dog when they are in harness and Jan was having a rough week. Mom went on to explain that if Jan gets too excited she tends to walk Mom into things. The lady was freindly, said ok and walked away. (this is not always the case) One on the other ladies says to Mom:
"Wow I didn't think you would say No to a Movie star"
Turns out it was Kirstie Alley. She did not have her make up on and Mom didn't know her voice so Mom had no idea. Too funny.
People ask to pet the dog all the time and Mom almost always says No because of the way the guides work. Sorry Kirstie, nothing personal.


ps I ordered the Hitchhiker. Hubby really wanted to get me a wheel so I ordered it. Should have it next week!

As the wheel turns

So I sold my spinning wheel. Hubby wanted me too so I can put the $$ toward a new wheel. I got it working pretty well and had the flyer checked out by a carpenter Friend of mine. He feels it is fine and should last years. So now I am considering a small portable wheel that I can move around the house easy and take where ever I want. I like the Kromskis but they are a little pricey for a starter wheel. I think I may go with the Hitchhiker wheel. It is small, sturdy, and so cute! Also the price is really good.
Still mulling it over.

I am still waiting for my stuff to go up at Yarny Goodness. Pam must be super busy because she hasn't updated for about a week. Hopefully soon, I will keep you posted.

Have to take both dogs to the vet today for checkups. That should be fun.

Remember when I said I saved the best for last? I love this colorway. The picture is close. There isn't really any white in the skein. I took the pictures outside in the sun. I really want to keep this one! You know me I love the red.

I have been working on ideas for a line of repeatable colorways. When I have the $$ for more yarn and new dyes I am going get started. Spring and summer is a good time for dyeing.

The new line (I hope) will have semi solids as well as hand paints. I don't want to give to much away but I think one colorway will be Allosiman.

Sock it to me

My Sock It Too Me Twice pal has received her socks and liked them. You can meet Amy here. She is very cool. Hi Amy! Amy has been fun to spoil. I have heard from my spoiler and she is getting over being sick so she is knitting away. I am not worried. She has sent me such lovely things already I know I will love them.

Still on the subject of socks. I have finished the first STR sock. My Monkeys are going pretty slow because I have not really knit anything for the last 3 days. You see it has been in the upper 60's here and MB and I have been taking advantage. The dogs have been out almost all the time too. MB likes to chase them around the yard. Toph is getting better at fetch. Winston never went in for the whole fetch thing. The two dogs have a great time together. Winston is a puppy again.

Looks like the cold and crappy weather is coming back. I need real spring soon!

I gave the drop spindle another try last night. I think I may need a few pointers. gonna to take it to the next knit night. I know Dee can help me. (Dee is Sandy too btw and very sweet) She has mad skills on the spindle. I may have to wait a week or 2. Poor Miss V is recovering. Get better soon V!

Jade

Here is the Dream In Color Good Luck Jade hat and scarf all done. The color is stunning. It looks just like a piece of stone. This little set is going in the gift pile for next Christmas. Pretty no? I would buy this yarn again and again. I just love it.

Coffee time!

When I started staying home with the kids I started making Hubbys coffee in the morning rather than have him buy coffee everyday. We got a new coffee pot for Christmas (thanks Mom and Dad) so for Valentines day I got Hubby a coffee grinder and a pound of coffee. I ordered the coffee from a fellow Etsy seller Daves Home Roast. Dave offers many different kinds of coffee that he roast to order for you, and then ships right to your door. I am not much of a coffee person but I can tell good coffee from bad and this stuff is good. Hubby loves it and it is something I keep buying him from my yarn money. It my little way a of thanking him for loving me. Anyway...



All of the money Dave makes from his wonderful coffee go to:



"100% of the money you spend benefits Batten Disease Support and Research Association. I am donating my costs, including raw materials and shipping. Batten disease is a rare, terminal illness which afflicts one of my sons, Clifford."



I read up on Batten Disease when I bought our first pound. I won't get in to the details. It is nothing nice. If you are a coffee lover check out Daves coffee. It is fresh and roasted to order for you every time. Dave seems like a great guy. He has been very helpful answering all my questions. His turnaround is fast too. And for the price I have not found a better value. Store bought just can't beat Dave for freshness. So go buy coffee. It taste good and helps a worthy cause.

Here they are!

So here are the first 5 of the new yarns, I have saved the best for another day.
Watch the shop for updates this week.
Merino Sock 422 yards if you were wondering.

update

Well the new yarn is all dyed and ready for photos tommrow. Some for my shop and some for YG. I do have one more pound to dye up for YG but I won't get to it till next week.

My drop spindle came. I hope to have a little time tommrow to try it out. I started today but Toph was way too interested in it for me to do anything. She thinks it her new toy. She seemed very put off that I would not let her have it.

In Wii sports news MB bowled a 174 today. Rock On MB!

Lime & Violet

Did you hear Lime&Violet #53? Miss V and Carin liked the yarn I gave them. They are so funny. If you have not had a chance yet check it out. Oh and I got a little pick at Miss V's new yarns. Yummy! I think she has the dogs trained to sniff us all on the way out to make sure we have not stuffed yarn down our shirts.

Color!

New yarn! I love new yarn. The one with the label is Fever. merino silk blend sock yarn. So pretty. I had one have of this silk blend. Its going to up in the shop.

The other is Merino sock yarn and I love it. The black with the grey and plum really pop on the merino. Both of these are layered dyes. More work but so worth it. More in the pot as I type!

Indie of the Week

I got a very nice lip balm from my Sock it to me twice pal and went online to check out the maker naiad soap arts. Erin sells her hand made soap, lip balms and other bath products on Etsy. She does wholesale orders too. She makes all of her products by hand. I love that.

I ordered this yummy All Natural Blood Orange soap ( and the chocolate peppermint lip balm). The soap smell great and lathers up well. It leaves nice smooth skin. Not sure I can go back to regular soap after this. I can't wait to try some of her others. The price is right (imo) and shipping is fast and reasonable.

Erin is nice enough to enclose a sample of one of her other products with your order. She sent me a solid sugar scrub that was wonderful. Her service is fast and friendly. If she is out of something ask her. She is very nice about checking her stock and getting back to you. Check out what this great Indie artist has to offer. I am sure you will find something you just have to try.

Hand made soap is my new thing thanks to Lorena.

A Little Twist

How do we like these beauties? I had some yarn that was brown and cream. I over dyed it. Pretty no? I love the raspberry/brown one. I am putting these up in the shop. each is 220 yards 100% wool. I think these would make great mittens or something. Yarny Goodness box has been shipped. I am not sure how long it will take for it to show up on the site but I will keep you posted.

Snarky Red Monkey

So I got this lovely red Artyarn Ultra Merino (color 115)from Beth my SP10. I have been waiting for the right sock to knit with it. Lorena is hosting a Monkey Sock KAL in March so I went ahead and cast them on. I have 1 repeat done. I'll show you when there is something to show.. I do think it fitting that I took this picture last year when I the yarn... Maybe I was trying to tell myself something? This yarn is just beautiful. No pooling or stripes to speak of just waves of color. I can't wait to see how these turn out.

The str socks are coming along. Mindless foot knitting now.

Well I am off to bake a cake with Monster boy. He loves to run the mixer.

Picture!

Well here is the one picture. I have to retake the others. I really like how this come out. The color is a little washed out here. Even in good light it is hard to get the color perfect. The blue is aqua. It reminds me of spring. This one will go to Yarny Goodness on Monday so look for them there.

New base yarns are on the way so I will have more for the shop. I only placed a small order. If this batch sells well I think I will order 20 lbs. I am so excited!

To help promote my indie artist brothers and sisters and pay the karma fairy a little I am going to feature different artist on the blog each week. I know many bloggers do this but I don't mind jumping on this bandwagon. I am not gonna commit to a day of the week. But I will try to keep up. I have my first ready to go I just need to take some pictures.

In Wii news: I have started playing the Wii sports. I am pretty good at bowling (I suck in real life) and not too bad at tennis. Golf and baseball I just plain suck at. Boxing I just don't get yet. Hubby did get me the World Series Of Poker game and I am pretty good at it. I have never liked video games before but this is kind of fun. I can now see how people have hurt them self. I think I have Wii elbow.

ok so I guess Blogger is not going to take my pictures this morning. You would have seen 2 pretty rovings. They will be going to YG with the yarns I have.
I also had my first order from Australia! Very exciting to think that someone on the other side of the world is going to make something with my yarn.

I was going to show you my new bag tags that I made up for YG as well but blogger hates me. They are super cute and say " support indie artist...it helps feed the starving." Cute eh?

Well folks it is almost 50 outside! I think a walk to the park is in order.
With any luck Blogger will fix itself and I'll post the pics later today.